The epic console war of the 1990s will be brought to life in a movie co-directed by Seth Rogen.

The biggest battle of our lifetimes, the 1990s clash between console makers Sega and Nintendo, will be brought to life in a film directed by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg. Appropriately titled Console Wars, the film is based on Blake J. Harris' book Console Wars: Sega, Nintendo, and the Battle that Defined a Generation, due out in May.

Rogen and Goldberg are frequent collaborators, having previously worked together on This is the End, Pineapple Express, and Superbad, among others. The film has been optioned by Sony, a company that entered the console wars in the mid-90s while Nintendo and Sega were still duking it out for gaming domination.

The book's Amazon page describes Console Wars as "a mesmerizing, behind-the-scenes business thriller that chronicles how Sega, a small, scrappy gaming company led by an unlikely visionary and a team of rebels, took on the juggernaut Nintendo and revolutionized the video game industry." I have no idea how that's going to translate to a live-action movie, but as a child of the 90s, I'm curious to find out.

In my country, Nintendo dominated the 8 and 16 bits, I knew of the existance of the Genesis, heck, I even owned a Game Gear (and I still do), but it wasn't pushed as hard as Nintendo's consoles market wise, in fact, I started playing Genesis games thanks to emulation back in '99 and I properly bought Genesis games until the "Ultimate Genesis Collection" on the 360 and some of those games on Steam.

Indeed, as a 90's kid, I'm incredibly curious to see this film, only to experience how it was like to be bombarded with Sega's ads back then.

So is this movie going to be from the perspective of the Sega executives and employees? That's what it sounds like. It could certainly be interesting. Especially since I started playing games around the time of the Sega Genesis and SNES were duking it out.

Also, it's funny that it looks like this movie might be made or distributed by Sony.

Anyway, I fear this movie will make me yearn for the days when Sega was competent and made great systems and games. Back when Sonic was "Awesome" and the Genesis was the system of choice for a lot of people.

The book's Amazon page describes Console Wars as "a mesmerizing, behind-the-scenes business thriller that chronicles how Sega, a small, scrappy gaming company led by an unlikely visionary and a team of rebels, took on the juggernaut Nintendo and revolutionized the video game industry." I have no idea how that's going to translate to a live-action movie, but as a child of the 90s, I'm curious to find out.

Maybe the sequel could be about how Sega then squandered it's wealth and reputation with the Saturn and Dreamcast and eventually had to drop out of the console wars. Or would that be too depressing?

Maybe the sequel could be about how Sega then squandered it's wealth and reputation with the Saturn and Dreamcast and eventually had to drop out of the console wars. Or would that be too depressing?

Dreamcast isn't fully responsible for killing SEGA's hardware business, hell the Dreamcast actually still sold more than the Saturn did in it's short lifetime. It was the Saturn's botched launch and price and 32X/SEGA CD that truly killed SEGA in the end. The SEGA Dreamcast set huge records and was going off the shelves extremely fast when it launched, but then Sony announced the PS2 and that slowed down sales, and when the PS2 launched it brought a cheap DVD player to Japan for once and that lost SEGA the Japanese market. Then SEGA of Japan fired their American CEO who had made the Dreamcast so popular for just some strange reason, which really hurt them even more. Really the problem SEGA always has had is that it's Japanese branch never got along with it's American branch, despite SEGA being originally an American company.

The book's Amazon page describes Console Wars as "a mesmerizing, behind-the-scenes business thriller that chronicles how Sega, a small, scrappy gaming company led by an unlikely visionary and a team of rebels, took on the juggernaut Nintendo and revolutionized the video game industry."

Damn, I miss you SEGA...

My life would have been very different without your fast paced, high octane, addicting, balanced to perfection for everlasting replayability, arcade-pedigreed wonders.History is written by the winners, so most of the SEGA gems doesn't have the recognition they deserve. Alex Kidd in miracle world, Wonder Boy in monster land, Streets Of Rage, Dynamite Headdy, Daytona USA, Phantasy Star, Nights: Into Dreams, Virtua Fighter, 8-bit Sonic (absolutely great), Shinobi, Eternal Champions, Chakan.And even some third parties exclusive to the Mega Drive, like Road Rash, Michael Jackson's Moonwalker, Castle Of Illusion, Land Of Illusion (only on the Master System).

I was a Mega Drive kid, I fell in love with Chrono Trigger (best.game.ever.), Super Mario World, Mega Man X and Yoshi's Island as a grown man (some of it through my wife, which was a SNES gal), but I still think that both libraries are equal, at best.Instead of copying what Nintendo was doing, SEGA went for its own thing, it created its own games and its own franchises instead of just copying what big N was doing.Even if Super Mario World is a better game than Sonic 2, while the Nintendo kids had ONE Mario game, I had FOUR great Sonic games to play. (not to mention Sonic CD and 4 8-bit sonics released in that period)Not to mention how they tried to push the technology forward, and were very ahead of their time (games on compact disc, Mega net, Activator, the Game Gear, which, even though it failed, IMHO because of the limitations of the time - price and batteries, mostly - was, technologically, miles ahead of the behemot that the Game Boy became) They were a very creative and talented pool, and it is very unfortunate that they had it so rough.

The book's Amazon page describes Console Wars as "a mesmerizing, behind-the-scenes business thriller that chronicles how Sega, a small, scrappy gaming company led by an unlikely visionary and a team of rebels, took on the juggernaut Nintendo and revolutionized the video game industry."

Damn, I miss you SEGA...

My life would have been very different without your fast paced, high octane, addicting, balanced to perfection for everlasting replayability, arcade-pedigreed wonders.History is written by the winners, so most of the SEGA gems doesn't have the recognition they deserve. Alex Kidd in miracle world, Wonder Boy in monster land, Streets Of Rage, Dynamite Headdy, Daytona USA, Phantasy Star, Nights: Into Dreams, Virtua Fighter, 8-bit Sonic (absolutely great), Shinobi, Eternal Champions, Chakan.And even some third parties exclusive to the Mega Drive, like Road Rash, Michael Jackson's Moonwalker, Castle Of Illusion, Land Of Illusion (only on the Master System).

I was a Mega Drive kid, I fell in love with Chrono Trigger (best.game.ever.), Super Mario World, Mega Man X and Yoshi's Island as a grown man (some of it through my wife, which was a SNES gal), but I still think that both libraries are equal, at best.Instead of copying what Nintendo was doing, SEGA went for its own thing, it created its own games and its own franchises instead of just copying what big N was doing.Even if Super Mario World is a better game than Sonic 2, while the Nintendo kids had ONE Mario game, I had FOUR great Sonic games to play. (not to mention Sonic CD and 4 8-bit sonics released in that period)Not to mention how they tried to push the technology forward, and were very ahead of their time (games on compact disc, Mega net, Activator, the Game Gear, which, even though it failed, IMHO because of the limitations of the time - price and batteries, mostly - was, technologically, miles ahead of the behemot that the Game Boy became) They were a very creative and talented pool, and it is very unfortunate that they had it so rough.

So much love to put in just one post...

Eternal Champions was the shit, and still (I think) had one of the best stories of any fighting game.

Also, don't forget about Mutant League Football. My friends and I played that game so much that I'm pretty sure the cartridge just died from exhaustion, and we had to pool birthday money to buy a new one. Good times.

Honestly though, I think this movie has the potential to be awesome if they handle it right.

Although I will most likely be stealing this in the future, I bow to your superior pun abilities, sir.

OT: Based on the description, it sounds like they're definitely going to try to keep the facts as straight as possible while still inserting Rogan and Goldberg's craziness within the subtext of the film's story. Seems less about the console wars of Nintendo VS Sega and more about telling the full story behind the rise and fall of Sega.

Maybe the sequel could be about how Sega then squandered it's wealth and reputation with the Saturn and Dreamcast and eventually had to drop out of the console wars. Or would that be too depressing?

Dreamcast isn't fully responsible for killing SEGA's hardware business, hell the Dreamcast actually still sold more than the Saturn did in it's short lifetime. It was the Saturn's botched launch and price and 32X/SEGA CD that truly killed SEGA in the end. The SEGA Dreamcast set huge records and was going off the shelves extremely fast when it launched, but then Sony announced the PS2 and that slowed down sales, and when the PS2 launched it brought a cheap DVD player to Japan for once and that lost SEGA the Japanese market. Then SEGA of Japan fired their American CEO who had made the Dreamcast so popular for just some strange reason, which really hurt them even more. Really the problem SEGA always has had is that it's Japanese branch never got along with it's American branch, despite SEGA being originally an American company.

I would put the emphasis more on the Sega CD/32X than the Saturn. I mean these modern times people talk about how important it is to get your console out first, and with the Saturn Sega beat everyone by having a surprise early launch.

Honestly I can't say 100% for sure since I was a teen and not really on the internet, but the vibe i got at the time is that Sega created a sort of Capcom "Super Street Fighter 2 Extra Turbo Deluxe Edition!!!" reputation with it's Genesis add ons. I guess the Sega CD was okay, but they were really pushing it with the 32x. Then when Sony announced the Playstation, almost overnight Sega kind of lost its rep as the cool kid and everyone just started buying Sony without giving the Saturn a chance.

I'm saying this as someone who owned a Saturn. Early on the games were immensely better, largely because Sega could port highly polished Arcade games like Ridge Racer, Sega Rally, Virtua Fighter 2, and Virtua Cop. My opinion has always been that the Playstation games didn't catch up in terms of quality until Tekken 3, Need for Speed (the first), and FFVII came out. But before that people were all buying Playstations to begin with, and eventually it just snowballed.

Now for some fun gaming controversy no one heard of/remembered, in the first year of the Sony Playstation the gaming magazine EGM gave it's game of the year award to an unfinished/unreleased Twisted Metal. The Playstation didn't have any other worthwhile launch games at the time, so it should have been a shoe-in for one of the good Saturn games to win. But no they said **** made up some excuse and gave it to the highly hyped PlayStation game that wasn't even out yet. I mean just imagine if Gamepot or IGN gave their 2013 Game of the Year award to Titanfall, the shitstorm would be hilarious!

There were other little things EGM did too at the time. Like they'd give an extensive preview of a Playstation game, and elsewhere in the magazine you see an add stating that it's for both Playstation and Saturn. Yet in their preview article no mention of the latter.

FalloutJack:I'm not certain a movie about console wars would be all that great. Even that wouldn't actually settle ANY of the arguments ever made regarding them.

If film has taught me anything, it's that a movie about Facebook Exists, and people loved it (I never finished it, or really even started it, so I can't agree/disagree with that statement). If the story is told in the right way, it could be enjoyable. I don't feel like this could be much bigger than a Pirate of Silicon Valley or a Jobs movie, as least in the 80s mullets fashion sense (You have to start from the 80s. Nintendo was an 80s company. We need a mullet quota on the film, I'm calling 5 mullets, minimum)

but it would certainly be interesting. I just wonder how funny will it be in comparison to how serious it might try to be as well.

<hugs his sega mega drive> (known as sega genesis in land of rename everything otherwise known as US)The decription sounds like a shitty dramamentary sort of like how Jobs was trying to praise people that arent worth the praise. Still ill probably watch it since i watch most of big movies coming out (and plenty of others, seriously i watch 3-5 movies every week).